Toy



I y 5, 1942- v. T. HOEFLICH ,2

TOY

Filed Dec. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheef 1 INVENTOR V/c TOR 7'. HDEFL/CH ATTORNEYS y 1942- v. T. HOEFLICH 2,282,056

TOY

Filed Dec. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EYS i INVENTOR A I V T VICTOR -T. HOEFLICH 26 I 2 14 z vL Patented May 5, 1942 TOY Victor T. Hoeflich, New American Merri-Lei N. Y., a corporation Claims.

This invention relates to novelties or toys.

The primary object of my invention is to provide such a device of a rather comical nature to provide fun and amusement in use. A further object is to provide a device which may be used to express complete disapproval or disdain in a spirit of fun. With these objects in View, the toy comprises a breath-operated or mouthoperated device combined with a simulation of a hand having spread fingers, said hand preferably being so mounted on the breath-operated device that the thumb points toward the mouthpiece end of the device in suitable position to be juxtaposed to the nose of a person using the toy. The hand preferably comprises connected sets of spread fingers folded about the breath-operated device, with the fingers Secured together above said device, the latter ordinarily including soundproducing means so that the desired comical effect is produced both visually and aurally.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the toy elements and their relation one to the other as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. The specification is accompanied by drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a toy embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 shows the toy looking toward the sounddischarge end thereof;

Fig. 3 shows the toy looking toward the mouthpiece;

Fig. 4 is a section through the mouthpiece taken approximately in the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the toy taken approximately in the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of bodying features of my invention;

Fig. '7 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of still another form of device embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 9 is a section taken approximately in the plane of the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a section taken in the plane of the line Ill-ll] of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an elevation of a further modification of the invention;

Fig. 12 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary section taken in the plane of the line l3-l3 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a similar View, but with the device in deflated condition;

York, N. Y., assignor to orporation, New York,

f New York Application December 10-, 1940, Serial No. 369,387

a modified device em- Fig. 15 is a fragmentary section drawn to enlarged scale, and taken approximately in the plane of the line I5-|5 of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 16 is an end View of the mouthpiece and sound-producing device, looking in the direction of the arrows I6-|6 in Fig. 15.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 5, the toy comprises a sound-producing or noise-makingdevicegenerally designated S, and a simulation of a hand generally designated H. The sound-producing device is of the breath operated or mouth operated type and is accordingly provided with a suitable mouthpiece M. It will be observed that the hand H has widely spread fingers, and that it is so mounted on the sound-producing device S that the thumb of the hand points in the direction of the mouthpiece end of the sound-producing device. As a result of this arrangement the thumb is disposed near the nose of a person operating the toy. The sound-producing device may be designed to produce an amusing noise expressing disapproval in a spirit of fun, and this result is enhanced and multiplied by the visual disapproval provided by the hand.

In the particular example of the invention here illustrated, the sound-producing device S is a horn, the body 10 of which is frustro-conical in configuration and is formed by rolling sheet material to the desired shape. In an inexpensive form of the device the horn 'body may, for example, be made of relatively stiff paper or thin cardboard.

The mouthpiece M has a small end I2 (Fig. 4) adapted for insertion in the mouth of the user, and a large end [4 adapted to frictionally receive the small end [6 of the horn body. The mouthpiece has noise-making means. That here illustrated is provided with a vibratile reed l 8 suitably disposed between air passages 29 and 22. Any of the usual reed constructions may be used or, if desired, the construction may be like that disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 366,536, filed November 22, 1940.

The simulated hand H may also be made of sheet material and in inexpensive form may be made of heavy paper or thin cardboard. The sheet material is preferably cut out to form two sets of spread fingers of similar configuration, said 0 sets of fingers being connected by an intermediate connecting portion 24. The piece of sheet material is bent or folded about the body I0 of the sound-producing device and the sets of fingers are secured together in mating registration, as by cementing the same in face to face relation as is indicated at 26 and 28 in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. The hand fits about the horn body with a frictional engagement and may, if desired, be additionally secured, as by cementing the same to the horn body or, if preferred, may be secured as here illustrated by means of a staple 30 of the clinched type, such as is employed in ordinary desk stapling machines. A machine having a small offset base or anvil is employed, so that the anvil may be disposed in the mouth of the horn when applying the staple.

In the present case the hand H simulates a loosely gloved hand such as that worn by circus clowns. It will be understood, however, that the simulation may be varied so as to represent a normal hand or, if desired, a dainty feminine hand, and so on.

When making the toy out of paper the paper used may be of a known type coated with metal foil, thus giving the same a rich metallic appearance. Moreover, contrasting colors may be used for the hand and the horn body.

With readily bent material, such as paper, the horn body may tend to change from circular to elliptical cross section when the hand is folded and secured thereabout, but this is of no consequence or disadvantage. The change in shape may, however, be avoided, if desired, as by using a more rigid structure for the horn and a comparatively light and readily bent material for the hand, so that the latter will not deform the horn.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and '7, I there show a modification of the invention in which the hand H is combined with a so-called razzer. This comprises a tube 32 having a rubber noise-making element 3% secured at one end thereof. This noise-making element has a tubular portion drawn over the tube 32, and a free end portion 36 at which the two sides of the tube are flattened so as to normally rest in adjacent relation. When air is blown through the tube, the rubber parts vibrate and a razzing noise is produced, which is quite appropriate and effective for use with the spread hand I-I, arranged as before, with the thumb juxtaposed to the nose of the user. The hand is preferably secured to the tube 32, and in this case is secured by an adhesive, in lieu of the staple previously mentioned.

Fig. 8 shows the invention applied to a blowout device. This comprises a tube Ml to which is secured a paper tube 42 which is normally rolled up, as shown in solid lines, by reason of a concealed spring wire. When air is blown into the device, the paper tube straightens out, as is indicated in broken lines at 42'. A simulated hand H is secured to the tube All. As here exemplified a noise-producing mouthpiece 44 is provided at the entrant end of tube 50. In the present case the mouthpiece contains a siren type of whistle. This is shown in greater detail in Figs. 9 and 10, in which it will be seen that the mouthpiece M is a tubular piece of metal having a channel 46 carrying a disc 48 having air passages 52!. A second disc 52 is freely rotatably mounted on stationary disc 50, as by means of a pin 54. Disc 52 has openings with vanes or blades 58 so arranged that when air is blown through the mouthpiece, the disc 52 spins at high speed, thereby producing a siren sound. In the present case there are five holes in disc 43 mating with the five vanes of disc 52.

Still another form of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 11 through 16. In this arrangement the hand is simulated by an inflatable rubber sack, much like a toy balloon. The neck 69 of the in flatable sack is stretched over one end of a mouthpiece 62. When air is blown into the mouthpiece and sack, so that the hand takes shape, the simulated thumb 64 is disposed adjacent the nose of the person inflating the sack.

The mouthpiece may be provided with any of a number of known sound-producing devices. In the present case, a thin sheet metal cap 66 is secured to the inner end of tube 62. The dished portion of the cap has a pair of movable tongues 68 and 10 struck or displaced slightly therefrom, the arrangement being such that the passage of air through the cap produces the desired noise.

The simulated hand H may be made by using two pieces of sheet rubber shaped somewhat as shown in the drawings, these being secured together at their edges by means of a strip or tape of rubber. This will be clear from Fig. 14, in which the sides 12 and 14 have the strip or tape 16 cemented thereto. When the hand is inflated, the parts assume a relation more nearly like that shown in Fig. 13. The material used is, of course, very thin, its thickness being exaggerated in Figs. 13 and 14 for the sake of clarity.

It is believed that the construction and operation of my improved sound-producing toy will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. It will be understood that the nature and configuration of the breath-operated or sound-producing device may be widely varied, the only essential being that it be a. breath or mouth operated device, and preferably of sufiiciently elongated configuration to provide means on which to mount the simulation of the hand. The latter may also vary widely, the important thing being the use of spread fingers suitably folded about and mounted, as described, on the soundproducing device so as to be juxtaposed to the nose of a person using the toy. It will therefore be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising, in combination, a relatively elongated breath-operated horn and a simulated hand, said horn comprising a frustroconical tubular horn body made of a piece of sheet material rolled to desired shape, a mouthpiece secured at the small end of the horn, said mouthpiece including a reed for producing sound in response to breath or mouth operation, said hand simulation having spread fingers and being so mounted on the horn that the thumb points toward the mouthpiece end of the horn in proper position to be juxtaposed to the nose of a person placing the mouthpiece in his mouth to use the horn, said hand simulation being formed of a piece of sheet material cut out to form two connected sets of spread fingers, the connecting pertion of said sheet being folded about the tubular horn body with the two sets of fingers secured face to face to form a single set of fingers, the connecting portion of said piece of sheet material being secured to the tubular horn body.

2. A toy comprising a relatively elongated breath-operated sound producing device, and a simulation of a hand, said sound-producing device including a tubular member one end of which is adapted to be received in the mouth of the user, said hand simulation comprising a piece of sheet material cut out to form two connected sets of spread fingers, the connecting portion of said piece of material being folded about the tubular body of the device with the spread fingers secured together above the device, the spread fingers of said hand simulation being arranged with the thumb pointing toward the mouth end of the tubular member, and in position to be juxtaposed to the nose of a person placing the mouth end of the tubular member in his mouth to use the device.

3. A toy comprising a relatively elongated breath-operated sound-producing device, and a simulation of a hand, said sound-producing device including a tubular member having a tubular rubber element at one end, the free end of the rubber element being flattened and functioning to produce a razzing noise, the other end of the tubular member being adapted to be received in the, mouth of the user, said hand simulation comprising a piece of sheet material cut out to form two connected sets of spread fingers, the connecting portion of said piece of material being folded about the body of the 'device with the spread fingers secured together above the device, means securing the folded connecting portion of the hand simulation to the device, the spread fingers of said hand simulation being arranged with the thumb pointing away from the rubber element, and in position to be juxtaposed to the nose of a person placing the tubular member in his mouth to use the de- V106.

4. A toy comprising a relatively elongated breath-operated blow-out device and a simulation of a hand, said blow-out device including a rigid tubular member having a flexible blow-out at one end, said blow-out being of known type comprising a flattened tube of flexible paper and a spring wire extending along said tube for normally rolling the tube up into a small coil localized at the end of the rigid tubular member, the other end of said rigid tubular member being adapted to be received in the mouth of the user, said hand simulation comprising a piece of sheet material out out to form two connected sets of spread fingers, the connecting portion of said piece of sheet material being folded about the rigid tubular member with the spread fingers secured together above the device, the spread fingers of said hand simulation being arranged with the thumb pointing toward the mouth end of the rigid tubular member and in position to be juxtaposed to the nose of a person placing the mouth end of said rigid tubular member in his mouth to use the device.

5. A toy comprising a relatively elongated breath-operated device and a simulation of a hand, said breath-operated device including a tubular member one end of which is adapted to be received in the mouth of the user, said hand simulation comprising a piece of sheet material cut out to form two connected sets of spread fingers, the connecting portion of said piece of sheet material being folded about the tubular body of the device with the spread fingers secured together above the device, the spread fingers of said hand simulation being arranged with the thumb pointing toward the mouth end of the tubular member and in position to be juxtaposed to the nose of a person placing the mouth end of the tubular member in his mouth to use the device.

VICTOR T. I-IOEFLICH. 

